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‘Deeply I loved thee, 31 West Hill!’ It was only recently, exploring my new neighbourhood in north London, that I put a facade to these words from John Betjeman’s verse autobiography, Summoned by Bells: about halfway up one of London’s steepest streets, which runs north from Parliament Hill to Highgate village, a blue plaque on an elegant, semi-detached villa announces it as the poet’s home from 1908–17. The house, with Hampstead Heath behind it, is at the centre of the first three chapters of what Betjeman referred to (only semi-mockingly) as ‘the epic’, which charts the poet’s small triumphs and tragedies up to the age of 22.

United kingdomCity ofTower hamletsOsbert lancasterJohn murrayElizabeth cavendishMichael treeHampstead heathJock murrayBevis hillierFaber gwyerFrank kermodeHugh cassonJohn betjemanMuswell hillRoy plomley